A new Yoh study of HR managers finds that 81% of companies have remote work policies, and 67% believe it’s likely that telecommuting will increase over the next two years
The option to work from home, satellite offices, and other locations is becoming part of standard operating procedure in most companies, according to a survey conducted by Yoh, a leading provider of talent and outsourcing services, and a unit of Day & Zimmermann. The survey also found that most HR managers expect telecommuting adoption rates to somewhat or completely increase over the next two years.
“The war for talent, combined with commuting times and costs, and an increasing need for work-life balance are all factors that promote telecommuting,” says Jim Lanzalotto, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing for Yoh, which places high-impact consultants and direct employees. “This survey validates what we’ve seen over the years: high-impact talent prefers-indeed, thrives-in an environment that provides a flexible work-life balance. All things being equal, a well-articulated telecommuting policy can make the difference between winning and losing a bid for a high-impact professional, especially when more than 27 million people in the United States work from home.”
Yoh surveyed 198 HR managers at the Society for Human Resource Management 2006 Conference and Exposition in June about their company’s telecommuting policies. The survey found 81% of hiring managers now have policies that allow employees to work remotely. The breakdown of telecommuting options:
None 19%
Satellite Office 13%
Home 25%
Other 44%
Moreover, 67% of hiring managers believe the number of employees who work remotely will likely increase over the next two years. The likelihood of more telecommuters:
Unlikely 35%
Somewhat likely 23%
Likely 44%
“It’s not difficult to infer what is driving this trend,” says Lanzalotto. “People and organizations have long wanted the business flexibility telecommuting offers. But it’s only in recent years that the technologies that enable cost-effective telecommunications have reached critical mass-such as wireless broadband, PDAs and smart phones, and standard issue PCs capable of remote enterprise access. Likewise, telecommuting itself is reaching critical mass. And that’s why hiring managers and HR professionals need to make sure these policies are attractive if that want to attract high-impact talent.”
About Yoh
Yoh is a provider of talent and outsourcing services to customers in the United States. Yoh operates from more than 75 locations and provides long- and short-term temporary and direct placement of technology and professional personnel, as well as managed staffing services, for the information technology, scientific, engineering, health care and telecommunications communities.
